2007-11-03 - Our Struggling
Savior

The Prayers of Christ Series - Conclusion

With this devotional,we will wrap up (for now) the series on the Prayers
of Christ.

Have you ever wrestled with God, when you didn't want to do what you believed
was His wll? Have you ever wished that things could work out another way?
I don't know anyone who would answer "no" to those questions. Perhaps this
involves the serious illness of a loved one, the loss of a dream, the end
of a treasured relationship.

Do you ever think that God can't possibly understand our pain, that He holds
unrealistic expectations of us? If so, I hope that you will find comfort
in remembering that we are not alone, and that in fact, God understands
perfectly. Not only because He is omniscient (all-knowing), but God understands
because Christ Himself struggled with what was ahead of Him, His impendent,
torturous death.

Matthew 26 tells us:

Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called
Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
37 He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along
with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled.
38 Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed
with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me."
39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face
to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be
taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

To me, the two most relevant points of verse 39 are: (1) Christ's frank prayer,
His desire that if possible, He be spared what was ahead. But also (2) He
did submit to God's will, even when it was excruciatingly painful - physically,
spiritually and emotionally. Aren't we blessed, to follow a Lord who isn't
removed from our pain, and who was so very human in this moment? I personally
would find it difficult to follow a "god" who was far-removed from our reality.
I hope you will join me in thanking God for giving us a Savior who is both
human and divine.